Working with Challenges Activity

Choose a scenario from the below list that you would find perhaps most challenging and journal on what you might do to prevent the scenario from continuing or escalating. Outline what you might say, following the intervention steps, if those strategies did not work. Try to get into how you would feel and if any emotions or triggers are coming up. What do you do to ground?

Sample Challenging Class Scenarios

You are instructing a group of 16 youth, aged 12-13, who are part of a mandatory life-skills program. While 3/4 of the group are engaged, 1/4 are disruptive, pushing others, throwing yoga blocks, and leaving the room without permission.

In a class of teenage youth where most are focused, one student appears agitated, regularly making disruptive comments, calling staff names, and interrupting with unrelated questions. Despite attempts to engage him with humor and reminders, the behavior persists. Balancing the need to address disruptions without halting the class for others is challenging.

You're leading a mandatory class for 12 youth who have collectively concluded that physical yoga isn't beneficial for them and have refused to do postures. While they're respectful, they remain disengaged despite attempts to introduce mindful practices and yoga philosophy, which they already receive from their larger program. Feeling at a standstill, finding new ways to engage them seems daunting.

While teaching at a group home, you observe two youth engaging in a heated conversation upon entering the class. Although you can't discern the exact words, their tone and body language indicate tension, causing other youth to become tense. There's a palpable nervous energy in the room, and you fear a potential physical altercation.